


For Him

by TaylorLL



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Bucky Barnes as Captain America, M/M, Steve Rogers as the Winter Soldier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 14:37:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7761778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaylorLL/pseuds/TaylorLL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if they had different opportunities?</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Him

“Who the hell is Steve?”

* * *

They knew that they needed a super soldier to combat the forces of Hydra, so what was stopping them from picking the best soldier they had?  Of course, ‘best’ was an incredibly relative term so the Strategic Scientific Reserve was tasked with creating a rubric to judge a soldier’s suitability for the program.  That being said, Dr. Abraham Erskine was almost convinced that James Buchanan was the perfect fit.

He had decent all-around skills in combat, strategy, marksmanship, and physical fitness (which would be improved by the serum regardless).  More importantly, he had a good moral compass and something, or more specifically someone, to fight for.

“Why did you enlist?” Erskine asks quietly as he and James sat alone in the medical tent.  “Pretty girl waiting for you back home?”

He half expected the young man to display a brash grin as many did before, describing the beautiful woman he had keeping his bed warm.  What he did not expect was a light blush, eyes looking away, and a sheepish smile.

“I have someone, not a pretty girl, but someone I gotta protect.  If this war goes on much longer, he’s gonna find a way to weasel himself out here and get himself killed.”  James looked up, his eyes catching Erskine’s.  “I can’t let that happen.”

Erskine smiled.  Perfect.

* * *

They promised to get him to the fronts in two months.  He thought that would be a month of travel and a month of loading and unloading supplies, time docked that he could use to train.

Steve Rogers knew he was not battle-ready, but he would get there.  He was working hard at home and the extra month of training abroad would surely strengthen his immune system, maybe even overcome some of his allergies.  If it didn’t, so what?  It wasn’t like pollen was gonna be a major concern in the trenches.

He was excited, and he was quiet.  As the month passed, he didn’t pester his transport (some doctor and a couple of lackeys); he was too thankful that they actually allowed him to tag along.  The doctor rubbed him the wrong way, but said that Steve reminded him of an old friend.  Apparently, they shared his hard-headedness.  The doctor had patched Steve up after he got his ass handed to him by another brute in a movie theater.  A part of him was upset Bucky hadn’t stepped in, but he knew his… friend was off fighting the good fight.  He would be joining him soon enough.

However, as they passed the second month mark, Steve was getting impatient and asking questions.  He was ignored more often than not, and there was little he could do but snoop.  No one seemed to care until he brought up one of the names he saw in the mess of secure documents: _Hydra_.

They didn’t bring him to the front.

* * *

It was all a blur of conditioning and reconditioning from the end of the war to the first interaction he had with Captain America.  To the first flash of lucidity he’s experienced in decades.

He was the Winter Soldier, created by Hydra as the ultimate weapon to perfect the human race.

He was an assassin, trained to kill those who stood in Hydra’s way.

He was a rebel, fighting against those who pushed him down.

He was a weakling, always trying to prove himself to someone.

He was the Winter Soldier…  He was the Winter Soldier.

“Who the hell is Steve?”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr for more! treksanity.tumblr.com


End file.
